Chapter 6

I barely slept.

The room was suffocating, not because of its size, but because of what lay beyond the door—Kael. His presence filled the house like a silent storm, crackling with barely contained energy. Even as I lay on the small bed, wrapped in the thin blanket, my body refused to rest.

I wasn’t safe. Not from him. Not from what he represented.

And yet, I was also terrified of leaving.

Because if what Kael said was true—if the Northern Clans were after my children—then I had walked straight into a much larger war.

But I wasn’t going to let him control me.

Never again.

Morning Comes with Chains

The first light of dawn filtered through the window, and I pushed myself up, ignoring the stiffness in my body. I had no plan. No allies. But I couldn’t stay here.

The only problem? The door was locked.

I jiggled the handle again, harder this time, my pulse hammering. Kael had locked me in.

A growl vibrated deep in my throat.

The bastard.

Before I could start kicking the door down, the lock clicked. The door swung open, and there he was—Kael, standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching me like he had expected this.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

I clenched my fists. “You locked me in.”

His lips twitched. “Of course, I did. You would have tried to run.”

I wanted to punch that smug look right off his face. “You can’t keep me prisoner.”

“I’m not keeping you prisoner,” he said casually, stepping into the room. “I’m keeping you safe.”

“Safe,” I spat. “Kael, you dragged me here against my will. You had your wolves haul me across the forest like some rogue criminal. And now you’re locking me in rooms like I’m a threat?”

His expression darkened. “You are a threat, Ayla. To yourself. To them.”

He meant our children.

Something inside me twisted. “You don’t get to say their names. You rejected them before they were even born.”

Kael sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. He looked tired. But I didn’t care. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to feel the same pain I had carried for so long.

“The Northern Clans are coming,” he said finally. “They don’t just want the pups, Ayla. They want you.”

I frowned, my heart thudding. “Why?”

Kael hesitated for the briefest moment. “Because of what you carry.”

My stomach tightened.

“They’re just babies,” I whispered. “They’re innocent.”

“No,” Kael said. “They’re not just babies. They’re Alpha-born quadruplets. That has never happened before.”

I shook my head, stepping back. “So what? You think they have some kind of prophecy written about them? That they’re special?”

“Yes,” Kael said simply.

His certainty rattled me.

I swallowed hard. “You’re insane.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. “The Northern Clans think they’re the key to something. Power. A new generation of Alphas stronger than anything before. And you? You survived carrying four of them. You’re not just some ordinary wolf anymore, Ayla.”

The air turned thick between us.

I wanted to deny it. To tell him he was wrong.

But I had felt it.

The strange movements inside me. The way my children’s energy hummed in my blood.

And deep down, I knew.

This wasn’t normal.

Kael exhaled heavily. “You can hate me all you want. But I didn’t bring you back to punish you. I brought you back to protect you.”

I folded my arms, masking the war raging inside me. “And what if I don’t want your protection?”

Kael’s eyes burned into mine. “Then you’ll die. And so will they.”

His words struck like a slap, stealing my breath.

I opened my mouth to fight back, but he wasn’t finished.

“You’re not strong enough to defend yourself against them, Ayla. You may think you are, but you’re not. You’ve been hiding in the human world for too long. You don’t even remember how to fight like one of us.”

“I don’t need to fight,” I snapped. “I need to leave.”

Kael took a step closer. Too close.

“You leave,” he said, voice low and sharp, “and I will hunt you down again.”

A growl rumbled in my throat. “I am not your property, Kael.”

His gaze flickered with something unreadable. Then, he reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the bed.

A knife.

I stared at it. “What the hell is this?”

“Train,” he said. “Prove me wrong.”

I blinked, genuine shock freezing me in place. “You… want me to train?”

Kael nodded. “You say you don’t need my protection? Fine. Then prove it. Learn to fight. Learn to survive.”

I picked up the knife, testing its weight. “What’s the catch?”

Kael’s lips curled into something dark. “You don’t leave these walls until you can beat me.”

A thrill of something dangerous ran through me.

I met his gaze, heat crackling in the air between us. “Challenge accepted.”

The training grounds behind the pack house were just as I remembered them. The smell of sweat and dirt, the feel of a hundred eyes on me, watching, judging.

A group of warriors had gathered to watch, curiosity gleaming in their gazes.

Kael stood in front of me, shirtless, his arms flexing as he rolled his shoulders.

I gritted my teeth. Of course, he had to look like that.

“Ready?” he asked, smirking.

I gripped the knife he had given me earlier. “Always.”

The moment the words left my lips, Kael lunged.

I barely dodged, twisting to the side as his arm came swinging toward me. He was fast. Too fast.

Before I could recover, he swept my legs out from under me, sending me crashing onto my back.

Laughter rippled through the warriors.

My pride burned.

Kael crouched beside me, smug as hell. “Still think you don’t need training?”

I kicked out, but he dodged effortlessly.

Growling, I pushed myself up, my entire body on fire with rage.

Kael grinned. “Again.”